


Mistakes

by missssmon



Series: Orbit [2]
Category: Twosetviolin, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Best Friends, Gen, Inner Dialogue, M/M, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:34:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24713164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missssmon/pseuds/missssmon
Summary: Eddy does not like making mistakes.Side piece to 'Eternal', from Eddy's perspective.
Relationships: Eddy Chen/Brett Yang, Eddy Chen/Toni Wei
Series: Orbit [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1786672
Comments: 8
Kudos: 77





	Mistakes

**Author's Note:**

> Not meant to be read by the people mentioned in this fic. Unbetaed. 
> 
> Dedicated to @tyrelingkitten, who listens to me rave about all things TSV.

"Welcome to another unique episode of TwoSet Violin!" Brett announces to the imaginary audience, and Eddy grins as he looks at the camera as well. "Today, we will..." 

Eddy Chen lives to defy and take risks, from the day he had memories. From a young age, when his parents would tell him not to climb on the monkey bars or he might get hurt, to picking the violin over the piano as an instrument because his parents wanted him to follow his sister Belle's footsteps, to not going into medicine when he is of college-age despite his parents' wishes, to giving up orchestral work so he can focus on something uncertain, among other things that have notched Eddy's growth into adulthood. It is not that he chooses to be rebellious, Eddy does not agree. He is of a free spirit, and he likes to follow his own conscience. 

He knows how much hard work he pours into his choices, and he does not regret them. Eddy is proud of where he is today, being a part of TwoSet. He and Brett both toiled to get TwoSet to where it is today. 

"Please like and subscribe, and we will see you in another video!" Eddy and Brett announced, and Eddy reached forward to turn off the camera. Another video recorded, among a few others that will need to be sent to the editor before posting. Brett unplugs the camera from its tripod and packs it into his bag. 

"I will send this to editor-san, Eddy." Brett noted as he straps the bag on his shoulder. "I will see you later." 

"Hey Brett," Eddy smiles, putting his hand out for a bro fist bump. "Thanks. I owe you one." Brett fist bumps him back and waves at Toni, who was seated at a sofa at the far corner of the room. "See you later."

Brett takes his leave, and Eddy reaches for his girlfriend's hand, leaning down to peck her on the lips. 

"Hey, handsome." Toni greeted. "How are you today?" 

"Hey, beautiful," Eddy answered, sitting down next to her on the couch. "A bit tired, but I feel great that we have finished the next batch of videos so I can spend more time with you." He leans in again to make another kissing attempt, but Toni laughs and blocks his face. 

"You always say that." Eddy makes a face against her palm and whines. 

"Ah, you are right, babe." Eddy leans back and sighs dramatically. "You are so irresistible." Toni laughs and wraps her hands around Eddy's waist. 

"Oops, sorry to interrupt you lovebirds. I think I left my phone here." Brett peeks back into the room, sheepishly. He reaches for his phone on the table hurriedly and slides it into his pocket. 

_Decades._

Eddy Chen likes to get things he wants. Since young, he has been defying expectations and does things his own way, and nothing can temper his free will. 

Getting into the Sydney Symphony Orchestra was one of them, but it was not meant to be. He did not mind though, as he got an offer from the Queensland Symphony Orchestra anyway, his future as an orchestra member confirmed. 

Brett had been more disappointed than he was, and Eddy managed to convince his friend it is not a big matter, that they can make TwoSet work. Although they have never been too long apart since they were 13 and 14 respectively, Eddy made it a point to visit Brett often in Sydney that year, so they can continue making videos. 

Then he met Toni at one of those conservatory parties Alex hosted.

After hanging out a few times, he is convinced that the shy flutist is the love of his life. It was not long before they started dating, a perfect honeymoon. Eddy admits that he had been too enamored into his relationship, and Brett was not pleased when he rejects yet again _another_ meet up so that he can go watch some Naruto with Toni.

Eddy knows that he made his best friend even more pissed when he visits Brisbane, to find out that Toni has no idea about TwoSet Violin's existence. He is aware that he had not told Brett about Toni either, Brett finding out only because he had to call Eddy one day to cancel his visit to Brisbane and heard Toni in the background after they told each other their first 'I love yous'. 

Forever patient Brett eventually forgives him, sighing as Eddy held him on the phone and crack jokes all over, and promises to work even harder on TwoSet, but he cannot do the administrative work, because he is not as organized. Brett chuckles and answers that he would not trust Eddy with paperwork anyway since he must be busy with his two girlfriends. Eddy yelled back that his girlfriends at least understand his priorities. He introduced Brett to Toni, who kicked it off immediately. He is ashamed that he did not do it sooner, and there was really nothing to worry about. 

They joke on camera, play into the comfort of each other's familiarity, and Eddy knows they are alright. 

The Kickstarter idea was something Brett and Eddy agree will make a significant difference in their career if successful. Toni had her worries, attentive girlfriend as she is, but Eddy trusts in them, he and Brett. What can be worse than staying outside for five days? Right, that Brett promised Toni to tell her if her boyfriend ever cries throughout the five days. 

The first night, Brett and Eddy packed their sleeping bags side by side, and they laid down to see the stars on the clear night sky. They talked and talked bout their teenage lives, about afternoons doing math at tutoring (although Eddy has retained almost nothing) and about playing the violin and getting to where they are right now. 

"Your first serious girlfriend, huh?" Brett begins. "How do you see her?" 

"I really love her, you know." Eddy looks at a particularly bright star and thinks of Toni's smile. "I am so glad you two get along so well." he turns to look at his friend.

"She is really nice." Brett meets his gaze. "I am happy for you." 

"Where do you think we will go?" Eddy mutters. Brett blinks, and Eddy wonders if he is seeing things or Brett's expression was getting glassy. 

"Whatever makes you happy, man." Eddy knows Brett understands his philosophy of living, just as he understands Brett's life motto is to just do it.

"She makes me happy." Brett nods and closes his eyes.

"I see that," he mentions, almost whispering. "I am happy for you." 

"I want you to be happy too. Maybe I can introduce some of Toni's single girlfriends to you?" Brett laughs and rolls over so Eddy could not see his face. 

"Shut up Eddy. Now you are getting annoying. I want to sleep." 

"You're always clamming up when I bring up girls, bro. Is it Andrea?" Andrea was a girl Brett dated in high school up to his first year in the conservatory. After her, Brett had not dated anyone. Or at least, to Eddy’s knowledge. “Or are you dating someone right now and not telling me? Hmmm?” He tries to turn Brett over, shaking his shoulder a few times, who huffed and finally complied.

“I am happy now. Doing this project with you is more than anything I ever wanted.” Brett kept his eyes closed. “But we have to wake up in a few hours and I don’t want to talk anymore.” 

Eddy hears his soft breathing after. He whispers a ‘good night’ and tried to sleep. 

Night 2, he stayed up for a bit, talking to Toni and telling her how excited he is that people are showing up to play with them on the streets as Brett snored beside him. 

Night 3, he was hesitant to end his video call with Toni but she is in a different timezone, different city, working on her dreams and he wants to do good as well. He is proud of her getting into the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and he wants her to be proud of him too. He huddled up close to Brett and mumbles incoherent words on reaching their journey. Brett ended up stroking circles on his friend's back. He fell asleep feeling comforted. 

Night 4, Eddy has his doubts on hitting their target but when Brett voices the same, he cracks up at the fact that he is not alone. He hugs his friend tightly and rubs his hair into Brett's face annoyingly until his friend balks in laughter. They both knocked out not too long after, tired, but remotivated for a new day.   
  
Night 5, they started a live stream, as their deadline is coming to a close. Relief engulfed Eddy’s senses when they hit their goal, and the realization that they will be traveling the world slowly sets in. They did it. Him, and Brett. Together, they are one step closer. He and Brett both knew that if they had not met this goal, they would have had to busk through the world, but this made it all the easier. 

Eddy slept like a baby that night at their friends, finally, no more sleeping on the hard ground. He dreams of playing on stage, seeing his girlfriend in Tokyo, and having Brett as his best man at his wedding. 

That dream seems better than reality when Toni became unreachable.

He does not understand why his girlfriend fell off the map. In their first two years, this is definitely their first fight of sorts, except Eddy has no idea what they are fighting on. Everything had been so smooth sailing up to this point.

He whines to his best friend, who only patted his shoulder and shrugged. In the end, Eddy decided to fly out to Tokyo on the earliest flight he could book and Brett quietly drove him to the airport.   
  
_Years._

After things with Toni patched up, TwoSet continues working harder. Eddy understands that her insecurities of being so far away alone in Tokyo have been giving her mood swings, so he made plans. He manages to squeeze in three days for Tokyo to coincide with his birthday and their anniversary, and he gave her a big bear hug when the day finally came. They have not met for a few months, and he misses her terribly. They went to eat yakitori, and mix of not eating much food with too much sake made him groggy. 

“It is getting harder.” He hears Brett talking. “Thank you,” Toni responded. What are they talking about? His head was buzzing, barely able to hear much. His ears perked up again at “Sorry I am selfish.” He does not understand this conversation. What does Brett mean, how long will Toni be comfortable with this? Why does Toni trust Brett’s judgment? Eddy closes his eyes and knocks out.   
  
During the night, he puts a hand over Toni as she sleeps on his right side. It seems like the right thing to do, and he relaxes. 

In the morning, Toni must have left early and he must have shifted for when he woke up, he was on his left side.

His arm was around Brett, and he could count the eyelashes on his best friend’s face, on how close they were pressed against each other. It was almost like those Kickstarter nights but something felt off. 

Feeling almost torched, Eddy instantly got off the futon to take a long shower, trying to make sense of what had happened. His mind draws a blank.

Eddy comes out of the shower to Brett sitting up on his futon, scratching his head sleepily. Adorable, he thinks. And backtracks almost immediately. 

If he was being awkward over breakfast, Brett did not acknowledge it.

He spent the next two days with Toni in Tokyo, not thinking about Brett and his eyes. He spends his birthday and third-year anniversary with Toni bringing him to Akihabara, where he secretly buys a plushie he thinks Toni will like. She got him a musical box that plays the Sibelius Violin Concerto. 

He loved the present Brett got him; the Naruto outfit. He wore it willingly and ran all over Shibuya Crossing, and laughed out loud when he edited the video. It was very heartwarming, to know his friend was thoughtful as always and could have gotten him any other cosplay outfits instead in the store. 

He puts the awkward episode behind him, and TwoSet finishes their world tour.

_Months._

”Hey Brett.” Eddy starts, drawling as he nurses his cup, “how many whiskeys have I gotten already?”

”Enough for you to stop.” Brett deadpans. 

“Come on bro,” Eddy lifts his cup. “One more toast!”   
  
“No, no more for you.” Brett takes the cup out of his hand and puts it back on the counter. 

Toni will be home in two weeks from Japan, and Eddy has this ingenious plan of ‘hanging out as single dudes for one last time’ by dragging Brett to the nearest bar. He tells Brett his plan to move in with Toni and spend time catching up on all the hours they have spent apart over the loud music. 

“And. Eventually, I’ll marry her, you know?” Eddy slurred as Brett carries him by piggyback so effortlessly as if he has done it before. They are walking back to Eddy's house when Eddy woke up from his stupor. He did not even remember crashing in the bar. “It’s crazy. How far we have gotten.”   
  
“Good to know.” Brett answers. 

“Oh, Bretty Brett.” Eddy rubs his cheek against his best friend's hair. “Do I hear jealousy?” He laughs again. “Haha, I am only kidding.” 

Brett shuffles his steps so he can distribute Eddy's weight across his arms. “You know you’re a lightweight and you still drink so much.”

”I am confused.” Eddy raises a pointer, to make a point. “Alcohol clears my mind.” 

“What are you confused about?” 

“I... don’t want Toni to come back.” Eddy mumbles. “Is it bad I’ve grown accustomed to our long-distance?” 

“I think it is normal. Every relationship needs work.” Brett answers truthfully, opening the door with Eddy's keys and removing their shoes. Walking to Eddy's bedroom, so familiar that everything seems second nature to him. “Eventually you will feel you need her around again. Didn’t you want to marry her?” 

“Yes... and no.” Eddy frowns when Brett dropped Eddy on the bed, tucks him under his blankets. “I am not too sure.” 

“Well, you know best, what you want.” Brett patted Eddy’s shoulder reassuringly. “Take your time to sort out your own feelings.”

“I usually have a clear set idea of what I want.” Eddy Chen does not like being uncertain. He likes knowing what he wants. He likes _getting_ what he wants. 

“Maybe you do, and you’re just not seeing clearly right now.” Brett sounded soft. Inviting. “A good night's sleep will do you some good.” 

He leaned up from his bed to peer closer at his friend.

"You think so?"

"I know so." Brett's eyelashes are fluttering. Eddy blinks and cups Brett's cheek fondly, makes up his mind there and then.

He leans in and seals the distance, closing his eyes and savoring the soft lips that are Brett Yang’s. 

A firm push and Eddy felt his body being held by Brett’s hands on his shoulders.

”What are you doing?!” He hears the panicked tone on Brett’s voice and tries to lean in again to attempt to ease it. “Stop.”

“I want to make my mind clearer.” Eddy mumbles. He feels a headache coming. “I think it helps.”

"No, it does not." Brett firmly answers, his hold tightens on Eddy. Almost pleading. "Just take a rest please." 

Eddy wakes up to a cold towel on his forehead, simple ‘Good morning’ text from Toni and recollection of last night. He sees a glass of water on his corner table and some painkillers, along with a short note. He crumples it into the trash.

_Weeks._

Eddy Chen does not like making mistakes. But when Brett sits across from him in the HK style cafe, sipping his coffee, he feels that he had made a grave one. 

“I’m gay, and I’m taken.”

”How come I never heard of this.” Eddy frowns. 

“I do not want to let this affect our friendship or our work. I realized I was gay in the second year of conservatory.” 

“...so you have tried sleeping with men?” Eddy asks, feeling stupider by the second. 

“Well, how would I know otherwise that I prefer men?”   
  
Eddy bites into his toast, slowly. 

“And you chose not to tell me.”   
  
“There really wasn’t a reason to.” Brett puts his coffee down, tears a packet of sugar. Eddy followed the movements of his hands. “Nothing was serious.” 

“But now you’re taken.” Eddy swallowed. 

“Yes, his name is Bob.”

Eddy can write a book on how to decipher Brett’s body language. The way Brett is twitching, screams lies all over. Screams, do not call me out on this.

Brett’s most expressive part of his body is his eyes. To Eddy, Brett’s expressions are as clear as day. Maybe, he mused, it was just their bond that they’ve formed over all these years that gives him direct access to Brett’s feelings when other people could not see through Brett's monotone expressions. Or maybe it was because Brett _allowed_ him to have access. Now Brett is threatening to shut it down, and Eddy feels helpless. 

“.. sorry what were you saying?” 

“I said, we should still remain professional at work. TwoSet should go on.” Brett stirs, then sipped his coffee again, eyes darting everywhere but at him.

“Oh, yes, of course.” Eddy looks down, clamming down this urge, whatever this urge is. 

Brett nods quietly. “Good. Thank you.”   
  
Everything sounds like they have a second meaning. Eddy is uncomfortable, and he sees Brett is not having the time of his life either.   
  
He goes home and rues. 

To add on to his dismay, Toni does not want to move in with him. Something on wanting to be independent. He was not sure when he stopped paying full attention to her. He watches her work harder on YouTube and silently stops updating his own YouTube channel. 

_Days._

"Actually..." Toni began. "... it has been a while since we three hung out. Since I came back." Toni glanced at her boyfriend. 

"I have to spend some time with the family, Toni, so maybe next time." Brett smiles as he heads to the door, and a boulder lodges itself in Eddy's chest. 

He knows Brett’s older brother is out of town practicing his residency, and his parents are in Taiwan on vacation. Eddy’s eyes trail him as he walks out, and through the window, as he sees Brett gets into his car.

Toni curls her fingers around him, reassuring yet foreign. He looks back at her, and her hold stiffens. The facade between them drops. Perhaps it was there for a while, and Eddy had chosen to ignore this and pretending they could still make it work. 

He ducks away. She seems to understand and unwraps herself from him, sits next to him on the couch. Toni always seems to understand. 

Eddy feels a wave of emotion riding across him, akin to desperation. He presses for her to move in with him again, only for her to refuse again. Her stability, one that anchored him and was what attracted him in the first place, sounded stubborn and unwavering. 

They did not speak for the next two months. The excuses he gave himself were TwoSet is getting busier, and Toni is also carving out her own career. 

They barely spoke for the next two months, except if recording on camera. Eddy allowed all his feelings to shine as he speaks to Brett on screen; if only to compensate for the uneasy camaraderie offscreen. No one noticed a thing, except that Brett's eyes are more trained on the camera. On those rare moments when he does allow himself to gaze at Eddy, it was fleeting and brief. Eddy's heart would soar, and then crash to the ground when Brett catches himself. His raw emotions are on display on their videos, he is aware _Breddy_ is trending, has been trending. Fans are listing out every single thing they are doing on the Internet as moments of truth and he just wonders how close yet so far it could be to reality, really. 

He locks himself in most of the time, binge-watching anime as a pretense on trying to figure out what he has done wrong. How to fix this. 

In the end, Toni was the one who had to bring it up to him, asking him to meet at a bubble tea store they always frequented. When she murmurs her intentions, Eddy was still as a statue. He knew it was coming, and he was not doing anything to stop it. The meeting was brief as if she had only one purpose of seeing him that day, and nothing else. He thought he saw a hopeful glint in Toni's eyes, but it left as soon as it came. 

For the first time in his life, he did not know what he wanted. Toni always seems to know what he wanted, and he thinks, she made the choice for him because he could not. The screaming inside subsided into quiet whispers when Toni walked out of his life.

When the packaged box came in the mail, with all the trinkets he had given Toni over their years together, Eddy breaks down. 

_Minutes._

"Brett." Eddy begins when the camera turns off. He sees Brett hastily picking up his violin case and knows he is about to bolt. "We need to talk." 

"We talked," Brett answered. He busies himself with putting his violin back into his case. 

"Not completely." Eddy pauses. "Toni broke up with me." He knew his voice came out sounding hopeful. 

"Why?" Brett sounded genuinely concerned, turning to look at him now. "What did you do?" 

"More like, what I should have done a while back. This is the best decision for both of us." Eddy went and sat down on the sofa, patting the empty space next to him. "Talk to me, please." 

Brett's eyes looked like he was confirming something, before gingerly sitting down beside Eddy, leaving a wide space between them. There is no need to squeeze into a camera frame. 

"I am sorry for what I did, kissing you." Eddy starts again after taking a deep breath. "That was unwarranted of me, and I apologize." He really hopes Brett understands. Brett always understands. 

Brett blinks once, scoots a bit closer, and Eddy found himself suddenly at a loss of air. 

"What do you want?" his tone was not harsh. Curious, even. 

Eddy Chen likes to take risks, defy everyone. It has always been his philosophy that he likes to get things he wants, no matter how hard the circumstances. Guided by his passion, so to speak. Maybe that was the spoiled child temperament in him, and everyone around him, including Brett and Toni, had given in to his whims too many times that he has taken everything else for granted, other people's feelings for nothing.

There will only be one person he never wants to lose in this lifetime. He will compromise if needed, as long as he can keep Brett Yang in his life. 

"For us to be friends again," he says simply, "Please." He feels his voice stutter.

He did not expect Brett to lean forward and give him a hug. A tight one, reminding him of all those years ago when he had hugged Brett after the Kickstarter succeeded, and they had whispered "I love yous" to each other. 

_Seconds._

He knows he has been forgiven, and the anguish he is feeling inside, gone. He feels like crying. 

"Idiot." Brett says warmly, wrapping him tighter in his arms. Eddy reached and wrapped his hands around the other as well, seeping into the comfort. Oh, how much he missed this. "We are best friends."

**Author's Note:**

> Timeline and disclaimers:
> 
> Real events:  
> 2014: TwoSet Violin is formed  
> 2015: Toni and Eddy started dating, Brett goes to Sydney to be a fellow for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra  
> 2017: Brett and Eddy gives up on their orchestral careers and forms a Kickstarter, Toni moves to Japan  
> 2018: Toni returns to Australia  
> 2019: Eddy and Toni break up
> 
> Any inaccuracies are unintended. 100% self-indulgent fic. 
> 
> Edit: Brett has an older brother, not younger. 
> 
> ... yes, there will be another fic in Brett's POV, because I do not like to end fics on cliffhangers. 
> 
> This fic could also alternatively be named "Eddy growing the fuck up". but that is too many words (and too brash) for a title.


End file.
